Saturday, November 10, 2012

Many of us have heard of the term "seventh generation." The words come from the Constitution of the Iroquois Nation.

A common, summarized and short version of "seventh generation" derived from the Constitution of the Iroquois Nation that most of us have heard of is "In
every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh
generation... even if it requires having skin as thick as the bark of a
pine."

The Constitution of the Iroquois Nation (The Great Binding Law) explains "seventh generation" philosophy as follows:

"The thickness of your skin shall be seven
spans -- which is to say that you shall be proof against anger, offensive
actions and criticism.Your
heart shall be filled with peace and good will and your mind filled with a
yearning for the welfare of the people of the Confederacy.With endless patience you shall carry
out your duty and your firmness shall be tempered with tenderness for your
people.Neither anger nor fury
shall find lodgement in your mind and all your words and actions shall be
marked with calm deliberation.In
all of your deliberations in the Confederate Council, in your efforts at law
making, in all your official acts, self interest shall be cast into
oblivion.Cast not over your
shoulder behind you the warnings of the nephews and nieces should they chide
you for any error or wrong you may do, but return to the way of the Great Law
which is just and right.Look and
listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the
present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath
the surface of the ground -- the unborn of the future Nation."

This philosophy is not unique to just the Iroquois nation. Many Native American nations and tribes and other indigenous people around the world have and still do live by this philosophy as well. They may not explicitly call it "seventh generation" thinking but it is evident through their oral (and now written) histories, actions, and ways of life that they share this important, virtuous and selfless way of life as well.

The clear message of "seventh generation" living is to think seventh generations ahead and act in ways that benefit, not sacrifice, the future generations, specifically the seventh generation after us. People usually associate this with a ecological actions and thinking, but I think it is more than that. Indeed, ecological acts and ways of life are a big part of seventh generation thinking and indigenous life and livelihood but that's not the whole story. Since everything is connected you really can't separate out the ecological without thinking about how it affects other parts of our interconnected world and lives.

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An interesting aspect of seventh generation that I have read about
is thinking of your generation as all of the seven generations. You are the first generation
acting, making choices and leaving your legacy for the seventh generation in
front of you. You are also the seventh generation that benefits (and in some
cases suffers) from the actions, sacrifices and generosity of the people that lived seven
generations before you. You are also the second, third, fourth and so on.

This is by no means a full summary of seventh generation in its totality. It is rather a starting point to start thinking about how we can use this knowledge and wisdom in today's world for our benefit.

I started this blog post with "Many of us have heard of the term "seventh generation." I will end it with "How will I continue to incorporate this invaluable philosophy into my world? How will I begin to incorporate it into all areas of my life where I have not yet done so, for the benefit of the seventh generation." That's my homework assignment.